As people are increasingly using portable computing devices for a wider variety of purposes, it can be advantageous to adapt the ways in which people interact with these devices. While various types of touch-free input are being used for a variety of purposes, there are still various types of inputs that many people like to provide using a physical contact approach. For example, a user holding a cell phone to that user's ear might like to adjust a volume during a call by pressing volume buttons or spinning a volume wheel. Similarly, a user holding a personal data assistant might want to select a line of text using a side of the device, without having to use the user's other hand to manually select that line through a touch screen or similar input. Due to the number of types of possible input, it can be prohibitively expensive and/or complex to attempt to place enough physical dials or buttons around a periphery of the device to provide the desired functionality. Further, an overabundance of input mechanisms can make the device seem difficult to operate, or at least can make the device less visually appealing, which can negatively impact sales.